1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer graphics processing, and more particularly to computer screen savers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, when a computer system is turned on, the same information may remain displayed and the computer screen state may remain fixed for long periods without change. A screen saver is software provided in an operating system which provides the function of changing the state of the screen for the purpose of preventing the life of the computer monitor from being shortened; an additional function is preventing secret information from being divulged to others by virtue of the information being continuously output even when the information displayed on the screen is not currently in actual use.
A conventional screen saver enters into a screen saving state in which a screen saver image is displayed or the screen stops displaying an image, in the case when the computer system displays the same information on the screen for a predetermined time of about 1 to 10 minutes. Then, if a user of the computer system inputs information through an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, the screen saver terminates the screen saving state, displays again the last screen displayed immediately before the screen was changed into the screen saving state, and control of the computer system is returned to the process of controlling the computer system which was in effect immediately before the screen saving state was initiated.
A conventional screen saver includes a password input portion to identify a password of a user before displaying again the last screen immediately before the screen saving state was initiated. When the computer system is in a screen saving state, there may be a case that a person wishes to transmit a useful message to the user of the computer system, by using the computer system. In such a case, if the person does not know a password of the user set on the conventional screen saver, he/she cannot transmit any useful message using the computer system.
An example of a system of the conventional art in which password protection is provided to restrict access to a graphical user interface is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,968, to Miller et al. entitled Method And System For Providing Access Security To Controls In A Graphical User Interface. This patent, however, discusses neither a screen saver nor a message function.
Example of screen savers of the conventional art are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,527, to Lundberg, entitled Screen Saver, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,284, to Farber et al., Entitled Personalized Real Time Information Display As A Portion of A Screen Saver. Neither of these patents, however, discusses a message function or a password function of the screen saver.
Based on my observation of the art, I have discovered that what is needed is a screen saver for a computer which allows a person other than the computer user to leave a message for the user using the computer. Such a screen saver would protect the computer monitor and provide security for the user""s data, yet would still allow the computer to be used for storing and transmitting messages.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved screen saver for a computer system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a screen saver for a computer system which allows for the input of messages for the user of the computer.
It is a further object to provide a screen saver for the computer system which provides security for the input messages.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objects, there is provided a screen saver provided in a computer system, having message management function, including: a screen saving portion for monitoring a state of a screen output to a display device provided in the computer system, an event detector for detecting an event input from an input device provided in the computer system, and a message input portion for receiving a message from the user if the event detector detects an event, storing the message in a storage means provided in the computer system, and changing the screen state into a screen saving state.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a message using a screen saver provided in an operation system of a computer system, comprising the steps of (a) detecting an event input from an input device provided in the computer system in a screen saving state supplied by the screen saver, (b) receiving the message from a user if the event is detected in step (a), (c) storing the message input in step (b) on a storage means provided in the computer system and returning the routine to step (a), (d) receiving a password from the user if the event is detected in step (a), and (e) outputting the message stored in step (c) on the screen if the password input in step (d) is identical with the prestored password, and returning to step (a) if not.